The future success of US agriculture is tied to economic growth in the developing world. These countries play a vital role in expanding feed and food export markets; generating beneficial knowledge, information and technologies for adapting to and mitigating climate change; improving natural resource management; helping protect U.S. food and non-food crops, agricultural animals and ecosystems from the threat of exotic pests and diseases, as well as emerging and re-emerging domestic diseases and pests; and improving the quality and safety of domestic and imported food products. Extending US knowledge and expertise to enhance agricultural development in the developing world contributes not only to their food security but also directly benefits the U.S. economy and improves domestic knowledge on a range of topics. In fact, by linking all relevant disciplines of the U.S. university system domestically and internationally on food security issues, students will become more competent, knowledgeable, and better prepared for managing the global aspects of the future world of agriculture in which they will work.
As of May 2012, the world’s population is estimated to be over 7 billion and is expected to increase to over 9 billion by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Currently, nearly one billion people globally are estimated to be food insecure, with 44 percent residing in Sub-Saharan Africa (Shapouri et al., 2010). In addition, many suffer from micronutrient deficiency, such as iron and Vitamin A deficiencies, which contributes to their overall health burden. Projections predict that food security will remain a major challenge over the next several decades. Changes in the demand for food and agricultural products (associated with economic growth and the rise in middle class consumers in developing countries) will create additional challenges for global agricultural markets. Even with investments in agricultural productivity, domestic production and distribution in many developing countries may not be able to fully meet the increased demands of population and income growth. Urbanization, which produces both higher income levels and greater demand for a diversity of foods, is expected to further propel demand for higher valued foods, and increased demand for animal products such as meat and dairy will in turn increase the demand for feed grains (Regmi, 2001). Limited natural resources, uncertainty associated with climate change, and per capita food losses up to 115 kg/yr (FAO, 2011) add another complicating dimension to the challenges of providing sufficient food to meet future global demand.
Poor institutional, research, and scientific training capacities hinder the ability of developing countries to detect and prevent transmission of pests and diseases that threaten agriculture and ecologies within and beyond their borders. Institutional capacities refer to the policies, organizations, processes, and networks that exist in a country, and they need strengthening to better detect, study, and when necessary, combat pathogens, insects, and weeds around the world. This strengthening would not only prevent domestic losses by helping protect U.S. crops and livestock from foreign threats, but it would also introduce new approaches, methods, tactics, and solutions from overseas.